Operating and driving large vehicles is not like driving passenger cars. Large vehicles require additional training beyond the skills necessary to operate passenger vehicles and light duty trucks. A larger vehicle has greater blind spots, and the driver of a larger vehicle often cannot see what is directly behind the vehicle due to a trailer. Many times, the driver of a larger vehicle will have a person stand by the side of the vehicle to assist the driver when backing up in reverse.
A larger vehicle has a larger mass and more inertia at highway speeds. Thus, collisions with larger vehicles are more often fatal than collisions involving passenger cars. Larger vehicles, especially the larger class trucks used for commercial purposes, are often mandated to undergo periodic inspections, usually before every trip, to ensure that the vehicle is fully operational to minimize the possibility of collisions, break downs, and accidents. To date, most methods of vehicle inspection are done by a person, usually the driver. A driver can only walk around and visually inspect each of the inspection points on the vehicle to confirm that the vehicle is in proper working order prior to being driven.